Artist Profile

Henry Amos

Molten Architecture
Henry Amos is an architect who has put glass right at the centre of his practice because he recognises this enormous potential and how its particular characteristics can be used to inspire a more dynamic and open architecture. [] What is distinctive about Amos' approach is the emphasis he places on glass as a metaphor in architecture that as he states 'lets the audience imaginatively inhabit the structure of the world around them'. When in 'Metro-Morphosis' he suspended 28 metres of glass from the ceiling of a pedestrian bridge with fine nylon thread he wanted the audience to share his vision of transparency that would challenge the familiar solidity of architecture. As the public walk across the bridge it comes alive with sound and light rippling across its surface inviting the viewer to ponder where they were going, where they came from and highlighting as Amos suggests 'somewhere in the space between'.
This is work that tries to identify what the language of glass in architecture could be in the future, often using glass with a combination of the latest technologies. It includes processes of public and audience engagement in all stages in the development of a project in a refreshing spirit of open ended investigation, research and experiment. Prior to the construction of Metro-Morphosis Amos had already developed and tested the idea in an innovative process open to people he called 'interact' where the Globe Gallery became a kind of open studio for the development of ideas through hands on creative projects with an invited public.
(Part of larger review by Gary Power - University of Newcastle for Bound Publication)read full statement